Wire stretcher and splicer.



PATENTED 001217, 1905.

H. r. BONESTBBLB.

WIRE STRETCHER AND SPLIGER.

APPLICATION rum) D50. 15. 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WIRE STRETCHER AND 'SPLICER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed December 15. 1904:. Serial No. 237,013.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY F. BONESTEELE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Shannon, in the county of Meagher and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWire Stretchrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,wherein like or similar reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a plan view of'my device in operative position for producing the desired tension in a wire. Fig. 2 is an elevation of my device in the position shown in Fig. 1 and in broken lines, showing its position after making the first bend in the splice. Fig. 3 shows my device in position for holding the splice while the final turns are made. Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on line A 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is asection taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a partial viewof a modified form of a part of my device.

In the preferred form of my invention shown in the drawings, 1 is the stock or body portion of my device, consisting, essentially, of two similar bars 2 and 3, connected near their central portions and each provided with a hook A at one-end and an opening at the opposite end to receive the rotatable pin 5.

The hooks 4: are preferably formed,as shown, with a projection 6 extending longitudinally of the stock at the opening of each hook, so that when the hook is engaged with a loop formed in a wire drawing toward the opposite end of the stock the loop cannot easily become disengaged from the hook.

The point 7 of each hook is preferably beveled or rounded on its outer side, as shown in Fig. 4:, so that as the device is moved into the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2

these points will readily ree'ngage with the loop formed in the wire.

The bars 2 and 3 may be connected at their central portion in any preferred manner. As shown in the drawings, they are cast with a web 8, formed integral with each bar, the central portion of the stock being in substantially an I-section, as shown in Fig. 5, but it is obvious that, if preferred, these bars may be formed separately and united by means of rivets or any other suitable means, preferably spacing them slightly from one another. The ends of the bars 2 and 3 near the pin 5 pref erably diverge slightly, so as to conveniently allow a greater number of turns of wire upon the pin 5 when making a splice. Each bar is provided with a suitable opening to receive said pin and in which the same may be rotated.

The pin 5 is arranged to be rotated to operate as a wrench to bring the ends of the wires to be spliced into suitable proximity to each other. For this purpose a head 9 is formed upon one end of the pin, and the opposite end is provided with a washer or equivalent means, the end of the pin being slightly upset or otherwise provided with suitable means to prevent the accidental disengagement of the parts. The portion of the pin between the bars 1 and 2 may be formed straight, tapering, or in any preferred shape, with means provided for engaging the splice-wire, so that the rotations of the pin may be employed to draw the ends of the wires to be united toward each other. The most convenient means for this purpose and that shown in the drawings consists in forming an opening 10 through the pin, as shown, through which the end of the wire may be thrust, and after the pin has made a half-rotation it will be found that there is no tendency for the wire to slip or become detached.

The head 9 may be of any preferred form to afford a convenient means for engaging the same to rotate the pin. As shown in the drawings, it is slightly flattened, and an opening is provided, so that a bar or the handle of the pliers may be employed to rotate the same and in this manner secure sufficient leverage to tighten the wires to the desired extent.

In operation suppose it is desired to unite the ends of the wires 11 and 12. First a loop 14 is formed in the end of one of the wires for example, the wire 11and if the wire 12 is not of sufficient length to be suitably connected a splice-wire 15 is secured thereto in any convenient manner. Then my device is positioned, as shown, with its hooks 4 engaging the loop 14 and the wire 11 extending along the stock 1 past the pin 5. The end of the splice-wire 15 is then loosely passed through the loop 14 from the open toward the closed side of the hooks 4, or in the position of the device shown in Fig. 2 through the loop from below, as shown. The free end of the wire is then threaded through the opening in the pin 5 and pulled through as far as convenient to save time; Then the pin 5 is rotated to put the final tension in the wire, and when the wire is as tight as desired the stock is partially rotated around the part of the loop 14 in the opening of the hooks 4, bringing the stock into the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2 and forming a short bend in the splice-wire around the wire at the end of the loop. When in this position, the pin 5 is released, the adjacent parts of the wire 15 being heldtogether. The stock is then moved to the position shown in Fig. 3 and the free end of the wire 15 wound about or otherwise secured to the part connecting the wires 11 and 12, as at 16, the stock serving to prevent rotation of the wires while so twisting or tying, and when the operation is completed the stock is removed.

It will be noted that in making the splice with my device no slack is required, and for this reason when splicing the wire is drawn to the tension at which it will remain when the splice is completed, and thus it is easy to bring a wire in a fence or other structure where several wires are arranged parallel to each other and connected at the same points to atension corresponding to the other wires.

It is obvious that, if desired, a ratchet-wheel 17 may be formed upon the head 9 and a suitable pawl 18 arranged upon the stock to engage with the ratchet, as shown in Fig. 6, so that when desired the pin may be held from rotating in adirection to loosen the wires after tension has been put upon them.

In the claims where the expression winchpin is employed I desire to be understood as referring to a pin or equivalent part having the function of the pin 5 in a device of this kind.

Having thus described my improvement, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in my device without departing from the spirit of my invention. Hence Ido not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form and construction shown.

What lclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device of the kind described, comprising a stock provided with means for loosely engaging the looped end of a wire and with holding means arranged to engage the free end of an oppositely-extending wire passed through the loop, whereby the stock may be bent backward with the looped end as a piv otal center thereby looping the end of the second wire into the loop of the first.

2. A device of the kind described, comprising a stock provided with means for loosely engaging the looped end of a wire and with straining means arranged to engage the free end of an oppositely-extending wire threaded through said loop, whereby after drawing the two ends of the wire toward each other the stock may be reversed with the looped end as a pivotal center thereby looping the end of the second wire into the loop of the first.

3. A device of the kind described, comprising a stock formed of two bars, spaced from each other, and rigidly connected near their central portions, each bar provided at one end with a laterally-opening C-shaped hook and at the opposite end with an opening, the space between said bars being increased near the ends provided with the openings, in combination with a winch-pin rotatably mounted in said openings and extending across the space between the bars.

4. A device of the kind described, comprising a stock formed of two bars, spaced from each other, and rigidly connected near their central portions, each bar provided with a laterally-opening C-shaped hook at one end, an opening in the opposite end, and a winch-pin rotatably mounted in said openings.

-5. A device of the kind described, comprising a stock provided at one end with a plurality of laterally-opening G-shaped hooks, spaced from each other laterally, the opposite end of said'stock being forked, and provided with a rotatable winch-pin positioned in suitable openings formed in the forked portion of said stock.

6. A device of the kind described, comprising a stock provided at one end with a plurality of laterally-opening C -shaped hooks spaced from each other laterally, and at the opposite end with a rotatable winch-pin positioned in suitable openings in said stock.

IIO

7. A device of the kind described, comprising a stock provided at one end with a plurality of hooks laterally spaced from each other, and at the opposite end with a rotatable winch-pin positioned in suitable openings in said stock, a ratchet-wheel fixedly arranged upon said pin, and a pawl arranged upon said stock in position to engage said ratchet-wheel and normally control its direction of rotation.

8. A device of the kind described, comprising a stock formed of two similar bars, spaced from each other, and rigidly connected near their central portions, each bar provided with a hook at one end, an opening in the opposite 801,843 I &

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing I0 W1tnesses.

end, and a rotatable Winch-pin rotatably mounted in said openings.

9. A device of the kind described, comprising a stock provided at one end With a plurality of hooks laterally spaced from each HARRY BONESTEELE' other. and at the opposite end with a rotata- Witnesses:

ble Winch-pin positioned in suitable openings BURTON U. HILLS, in said stock. CHARLES I. COBB. 

